Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman
Bat Skeleton crafted from twigs
- 30 October 2019
- click to send Christine a smile
Projects like these are excellent to train your eyes in seeing the true potential in your plant material. You are inspecting the wreath in a whole new way noticing every curve and every tiniest knot. They are all of a sudden so important… vital even to get the exact bit you need. And when you find that crucial curve it is a real celebration. I do these projects to remind me to really notice the creative potential in my plant material. You can add as much detail as your patience and time allows but I do suggest you add as much as you can. It really is a great exercise!
Print out a skeleton template for your basic inspiration. You don't have to follow it bone for twig but it is nice to have a reference... and also... did you know bats have a thumb at the end of their wings!?!
I got this picture on www.anatomynote.com
Now the fun starts... Carefully inspect a vine wreath. The older and twistier the wreath the better.
Search for knots and forks in the twigs that matches the skeleton pieces. I prefer to search and cut all the pieces like a puzzle before I glue the skeleton.
This fork in the twig makes the perfect legs
And this knot the perfect skull.... there's even an eye... you know... for an eye!
Cut a v shape out of the skull to craft a gaping mouth.
Tequila (name explanation on the design page, link below in the design section) looks like a rather happy bat. Must be all the pretty autumn leaves (... or the Tequila, come to think of it)
Shave the eye from another twig to create his other eye.
Glue in the eye
Search for matching pieces and start to lay out the skeleton on a flat working surface.
When you have all the skeleton bits together you can start to build up the bat...
I used these small forks in the twigs to build up the rib cage.
The wings are two sets of forks in twigs.
Every now and again go back to the skeleton picture and match the bits of bat.
And carefully glue each piece to match
Glue in twigs for feet...
Turn the bat around and finish the rib cage at the back.
Add tiny twig thangs... and make the ears a bit bigger with a twig slice... and I also added tendrils for the thumbs... of course every bat will be unique depending on what you notice in the vine wreath but...
Here it is... my version of a bat skeleton made entirely from twigs. I add the head onto the skeleton once it is up in the design because the exact position adds so much character that it's worth spending a bit more time on it. (see the design note above this Tutorial)
Carefully glue the bat into the design and add the head at an angle... it really is important how the bat is positioned.
Book readers: notice the tilt of the bat's head? It's not by accident! Read more on page 279 where I explain why I do this when I craft a floral illusion.
The Tutorial for the Levitating twig armature is below.
Sign up for my weekly newsletter
Every week I add a new design with related tutorials. Be sure to subscribe to receive an email notification with design inspiration.
Tutorials
Cut a slit in the branches, at the root side to suspend it over the vases rather than in the vases.
How to spin (and remove) hot glue spider web or floral cocoon
Made from dried cherry twigs and a skeleton leaf.
Most stems, twigs and even sturdier branches can be bend into shapes. It takes practice and more than a bit of patience. The main idea is to slowly manipulate the branch without...
The word ‘Besom’ derives from the old English ‘besma’ meaning ‘bundle of twigs’.
Favourite Flowers
Granadilla, passionflower, passion vines
Related Designs
An all plant zero waste, levitating, twig (with just a splatter of autumn leaves, a breath of spiderweb and float of roots) Halloween decoration with an eerie bat skeleton made...
Oh my... a corn leaf mummy head for autumn... looking ahead to Halloween styling.
It deserves a bowl all of it's own... right? I am (of course!) talking about these spectacular little sweet peas called King Tut. Not much else is needed. But add a cute little...
Take a handful of grass... but then add just enough design to make it interesting.
Time to cut down vines... and enjoy them a bit longer in a Halloween display.
Add something dark and suspicious to your petunias for a fun Halloween display
A twig and stick design with sweet dumpling pumpkins and rosary vine (Ceropegia woodii). I also made a cherry twig and skeleton leaf Stick Insect
An easy going design of ripped grass and calla lilies. But look a bit closer. See if you can find Mr. Stalk relaxing somewhere between the blades of grass.
